Various urea/formaldehyde compositions are well known in the art for use in numerous applications. Moreover, various modifications to such compositions have been disclosed including the co-reaction of the formaldehyde and urea with triethanolamine. Further modifications have provided formaldehyde-urea compositions which are water soluble. Such compositions are disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,883,462; 3,983,269; 3,984,367; 3,990,977; 4,119,598; 4,215,172 and 4,370,442.
However, previously known urea-formaldehyde compositions are disadvantageous in that these compositions release unacceptably high levels of formaldehyde when used as a coating or impregnating material. For example, when used as a coating on or impregnating agent in a wood panel in order to impart fire retardant properties, known urea-formaldehyde compositions release amounts of formaldehyde which are maximum safe levels. Such high formaldehyde emission levels are a health hazard.
Thus, there is a need to provide a fire retardant composition including aldehydes such as formaldehyde and urea which is stable in the liquid state over extended periods of time and which does not emit high levels of formaldehyde when used as a coating or impregnating material.